Thousands of Combat Aircraft Components Disappear From Italian Air Force Warehouse

Thousands of critical avionics components have disappeared from an Italian Air Force warehouse in Brindisi.

Euronews reported that investigators are probing the disappearance of nearly 2,500 aircraft components for military planes worth about €17 million.

The missing items include electronic modules and systems for Panavia Tornado fighter-bombers, AMX International attack aircraft and Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport planes.

The Rome prosecutor’s office and the military prosecutor have placed about a dozen people under investigation on suspicion of embezzlement. They include senior Air Force logistics officials, generals and managers of an external company responsible for maintaining materials at the Brindisi warehouse.

The parts are not routine spares but critical components required for the safe operation of military aircraft.

Such components are typically tracked through military registries, inventory codes and NATO protocols.

Investigators are examining how parts subject to strict accounting controls could have disappeared from official records before being physically removed from storage.

A key focus of the probe is “decommissioning” certificates issued for some parts after they had already gone missing.

If serviceable components were retroactively declared worn out, this could point to an organized effort to erase their traceability.

Search in Brazil

One unconfirmed line of inquiry suggests the parts may have been smuggled to South America, particularly Brazil, where some of the aircraft types remain in service.

The AMX International AMX aircraft was developed through Italian-Brazilian cooperation and is operated by the Brazilian Air Force. Italy retired the type last year.

Investigators are assessing whether certified components may have re-entered international supply channels, where original spare parts for aging aircraft are becoming scarcer as production has ceased.

There are legal secondary markets for military aviation parts, including surplus sales and exchange mechanisms between allied countries. These markets are strictly regulated to prevent critical components from entering unauthorized parallel channels.

The practice of cannibalizing aircraft to keep other platforms operational is also legal if carried out under established procedures. This requires proper documentation, technical oversight and clearly defined responsibility.

Meanwhile, Italian judicial authorities have ordered a technical assessment to determine the actual condition of the missing parts and whether they were intended for disposal or remained fully serviceable.

The Italian Air Force said it has set up an internal technical investigation commission. Authorities have not disclosed further details as the investigation continues.